Fey
by Trevor X
Summary: Entry for 'fe contest' challenge 005. "He knows that he should hurry and return - doubtless there is a search organized by now, his mother upset with a child's lack of discipline - but there is a hint of movement further into the trees..."
1. Fey

**"Fey"**

Written for fe_contest challenge 005 - 'Spirit'

**Warnings:**_ AU, Medieval era, blood and violence in small doses, beautiful women, fey._

_**Characters:**__ Seth, Ismaire, Joshua, Natasha, Eirika. All mentioned in this first portion._

**x-x-x**

_He is nine years old when he first sees her dancing inside of the mortal realms; nine years old and full of curiosity and life and just the tiniest hint of being lost..._

He is exploring the ancestral forests that surround his family's keep; lands that have been held by countless generations before him, and will likely pass to his elder brother upon death of their father. Seth does not think about such things, just as he does not think much for the visit to the lone convent housed within these forests. Women in habits, dour and quiet, are all that he has seen so far as his mother takes her yearly tour, and with all the inherent boredom that such things represent to a nine year old child, he has chosen to escape. Doubtless he will have a scolding later, but his sense of adventure leads him out into the wilds alone.

For the first few hours, he travels carefully, leaving a marked trail behind him of broken twigs; he is conscious of the fact that he may give himself away to the servants that his mother will surely send after him, but he does not wish to lose himself yet in these woods. He is still child enough that tales whispered to him by the storytellers _unnerve_ him; there is no sense in becoming the next victim of some dark haunting out here in the wilds.

Later on he finds a stream and follows it to a minor break in the trees. There is a slight clearing there, space where he can see the sky. What glimpse he first catches tells him that he has been gone longer than he anticipated; it is evening now and the sky is beginning to darken. He knows that he should hurry and return - doubtless there is a search organized by now, his mother upset with a child's lack of discipline - but there is a hint of movement further into the trees...

He is silent when he approaches.

She is dancing upon the forest floor, surrounded by butterflies and motes of light. Her movements are the epitome of grace; the young boy can do naught but stare in wonder as the goddess dances, her turquoise tresses free to the wind. She does not seem to take notice of her audience, so the boy waits in silence.

When she finishes, the woods themselves have gone dark. Seth is uncertain whether it is appropriate to clap in appreciation of the beauty that she has shown, and in his uncertainty he manages to snag his trousers upon the undergrowth. The lady looks up and sees him for the first time. Caught, he can only stare awkwardly for a few moments; she smiles at him and he flushes.

"You dance most beautifully, my lady." His training in the courtesy of the nobility returns to his mind, he near stammers the compliment and bows to the woman in front of him. When he returns to standing upright, he can see that she is still smiling. She nods her head in return to his clumsy words, words of her own flowing from her lips in a beauteous refrain.

It is like listening to the wind in the trees, or the babbling of a brook; Seth cannot understand them and it saddens him. He vows to pay more attention to his lessons and see what language it is that the lady speaks. Apparently the lady understands that he cannot fathom what she is saying. She laughs - starlight in motion - and blows him a kiss.

A child still, he blushes to the roots of his hair and turns his face away. It is only momentary, but when he looks back, the lady is gone. Reluctantly, he turns away and retraces his path to the stream. There will not be enough light to show him the way back, but if he makes good enough time, perhaps he will be close enough for the servants to find him.

Seth takes one last look at the clearing. One day he will know this forest, this he swears.

The way back to the convent is long and were it not for a friendly string of lights, it is possible that the child might have missed his way entirely. They hover over the trail that he painstakingly marked earlier in the day, however, rendering it merely child's play to return back the drab, sheltered world that he abandoned for a few hours of excitement.

He is right about one thing; his mother scolds him fiercely when they return home to the family keep. His elder brother merely laughs and wanders away when he explains what he has done. Joshua has passed his fifteenth year and is no longer fazed by such childish exploits.

He does not tell them about the wondrous sight that he beheld, however. Even at this young age, he shies away from sharing such a thing with his brother.

Joshua would try to take the lady from him. He knows his brother all too well, though not through the eyes of experience. The knowing is merely intuitive on his part for now. Thus he hides his goddess away in his memory, there to await their next meeting.

_The second encounter would take place some years later, after Seth had attained his sixteenth birthday…_

He has grown up into a young man now; full of dreams and hopes and knowledge acquired over the intervening years. When Lady Ismaire takes her yearly visit to the convent, both of her sons accompany her dutifully. This time Seth does not slip away from the entourage until after the formal introductions and felicitations are completed and the women retire behind closed doors for private conversation.

With a different perspective, Seth actually allots a few moments to wandering through the open areas of the convent. Beyond the short-sighted vision of a child, he now understands that others besides the nuns dwelt here; nobility would often allow their daughters to be instructed inside of such institutions. He passes a few in the halls accompanied by their teachers, but they mostly pay him no mind.

_It was not until he stepped forth into the gardens that things changed. It was there that he had his first glimpse of the Lady Natasha._

He first notices her by the gentle lilt of a song on the breeze. He listens while he wanders further into the open spaces, coming upon the singer by the time she finishes the song. The songstress is seated upon the grass, filling her basket with a few of the herbs that have been cultivated here. With her back to him, he can clearly see the waterfall of gold that has been simply braided to keep it out of mischief. The lady turns and stands when she hears his footsteps approaching.

"Greetings, my lord." Her skirts sway with her gentle curtsy. When she straightens, Seth notices the blue of her eyes. He bows in return.

"The honor of this meeting is mine. You have a very beautiful voice, my lady. It is good to hear such sentiments expressed in such glorious tone."

The lady smiles. "It is only natural to use the gifts I have been given to honor the creator."

Seth nods. "Indeed. Although I fear I have forgotten my manners; I am Seth of Blaed."

Light laughter greets his statement. "A pleasure, my lord of Blaed. I am Natasha Haelen, first daughter of the house of Haelen."

They walk the garden and Natasha expounds to him the various properties of each plant contained therein. Seth is an avid pupil and stores the information away for later reference. Later, when he has time and access to ink and paper, he will set it down for his own personal library. The time spent together is wonderful, but Seth is mindful of the propriety of the matter, and after a circuit of the garden, bids farewell to the beautiful songstress.

"Fare thee well, Natasha of Haelen. I have enjoyed this time spent in the gardens with you." He bends down and kisses the hand that she offers to him.

"God watch over you, Seth of Blaed." The lady draws back a pace to regard him fondly. "Will we meet again, I wonder?"

"As God wills." Seth is certain that even if the divine does not will it so, they will still meet again. His mother insists upon these yearly visits, and his brother will eventually find this maiden as well. Heaven help anything trying to stand in their way. He smiles and leaves with a lightened heart.

_It is time to enter the forest again._

**x-x-x**

The journey takes less time on horseback than it had when he merely wandered around as a child. He finds the stream easily enough and follows it down to near where he believes the clearing lay. After dismounting, he ties his horse to a tree and proceeds on foot.

He is only just in time to witness the outrage.

She had been dancing the last time that he had beheld her. Now she lays sprawled upon the ground with a man towering over her. Seth does not need any other invitation to intervene.

"You there, knave! Why do you assault a lady in such a manner?"

Striding forward without any pretence of stealth, Seth moves towards what he assumes to be a thief or brigand. The man turns slowly, and his eyes nearly stopped the youth in his tracks. He has seen eyes like that once before on a crazy beggar, just before the beggar had thrown himself in front of a passing horse cart.

Whoever this man is, his eyes hold that same shine; the fiend before him would follow whatever whim held sway. Narrowing his eyes, Seth begins to circle the man, seeking to lure the stranger away from the lady on the ground. Obligingly, the man moves to meet him; they grappled for a long moment, testing strength against strength. Eventually the stranger throws the young noble away from him and sends him tumbling upon the ground. Seth rolls back to his feet warily; the man- if that is what he really is- has monstrous strength.

He holds his ground as the man begins to laugh insanely. Though unnerved by the fiend before him, he casts one look down at the woman. "You must run, my lady."

That glance is enough for him to notice the iron spike pinning the skirt of her dress to the ground. The lady is pulling on the material, but it seems that she refuses to place her hands upon the one thing that obstructs her freedom. Shaking his head, Seth bends down and begins to tug at the obstruction. So intent is he on this task that he nearly misses the look of alarm upon the woman's face, and the warbling stream of words that accompany it.

He pulls the spike out just in time to face his enemy's charging spear. He ducks away from the first thrust and stumbles to his feet. Where did the weapon come from? The man held nothing in his hands a few moments prior!

Such thoughts are not conducive to continuing survival, so Seth sets them aside for a more opportune moment.

Behind him still, the woman staggers to her feet and runs. He can hear her warbling cries fading into the distance and a grim smile crosses his face. Now he needs only to survive this encounter with whatever fell creature stands before him and everything will be well.

It will not be as easy as sparring with his instructors, for then he has a weapon with which to defend himself. Today he has nothing on him save the spike in his fist and a small dagger at his belt. If there were a moment of calm, he could search for some fallen branch with which to fashion a makeshift staff, but the creature does not give him that time. Seth dodges the wild sweeps and thrusts, moving ever backward into the trees. At the first opportunity, he must disarm his opponent; else he stands no chance of escape or victory.

When a thrust goes wide, he seizes the moment and the haft of his opponent's weapon. Seth feels a moment of elation just before the flash of pain. His opponent steps towards him and thrusts; the spear writhes in his grasp like a living creature and strikes.

He wants to cry out, but the pain has stolen his breath away. His arm weakens; desperately he tries to disentangle himself and the fiend pushes harder, laughing gleefully as the lad gasps for air.

A desperate move saves him; he throws the iron spike into the creature's face. He half expects that the throw will miss or that one of the gauntlets will rise from the spear shaft to block it. When it strikes true just above the creature's brow, he expects a twist of the spear in response.

The creature shrieks in agony and drops the spear to claw bloody furrows into its face. Seth falls away and frees himself from the weapon in meantime. His right arm dangles by his side, somehow much weaker than any injury should make it. The pain makes it difficult to think or plan.

Somehow he draws his dagger with his left hand.

Some fortune keeps him upright while he buries the dagger into the creature's chest. Wisps of smoke seem to rise from around the blade, but Seth no longer cares; he is already staggering along the stream, trying desperately to find his horse.

Reality fades. He is in the saddle now, a death grip in his horse's mane. He cannot remember having mounted.

The trees waver around him as he rides. A mote of light sits between his horse's ears and he wonders if the angels are coming to greet him already. He doesn't wish to die yet. His mother would scold him for leaving before her.

When his horse suddenly stops, he finds himself falling slowly. He can hear the voices shouting, see his brother standing beside the beautiful girl with the golden braid, and feel the wind as he passes it by on his way to the ground. His brother runs towards him, but Seth knows that Joshua will be too slow.

'_That's not right, Joshua is fast.'_

He hits the ground hard. As his eyes close, his last conscious thought of the day is strangely rational.

'_I wondered how long it would take him to find her.'_

**x-x-x**

Three days pass before Seth awakens. He hears a familiar voice singing and cannot immediately place the name or face that belong to the singer. Natasha moves into his line of vision and her song ceases as she notices that he is awake now. Seth hears a babble of voices as Natasha runs over to the door and announces the fact. Another stranger comes and begins to poke and prod his shoulder, murmuring about changing bandages again. Seth recognizes the woman only as one of the nuns.

His mother enters the room not long afterward. He braces for a lecture, but for once Ismaire of Blaed is without the words. She sits down beside him and holds his hand. Her eyes glisten, as though tears threaten to break her composure.

Things change when his brother enters the room. They ask for a recounting of his venture; Seth thinks back and tries his best to recall what happened between leaving the convent and returning near death. When he completes his narrative, Joshua frowns.

"We found the place where you fought this 'man' but there was no weapon or body anywhere within a hundred paces. Your blood trail showed clearly where you had been injured and there were marks up on the trunks of a few trees, but we found nothing else." The elder brother looks slightly unsettled. "There was no sign of your dagger either. If there was anything else there, perhaps the little folk took them away."

Joshua smiles a little at his own joke, though Seth merely frowns. "The little folk clean houses, not forests."

"Indeed, brother of mine." Joshua heaves a sigh and stands upright. "All that one can say is that yes you did meet with battle, but that whoever assailed you vanished like a mist. You should be more wary of traveling alone - take a companion with you, as I do."

Seth gives his brother a disbelieving stare that slowly turns into a smile. "I am aware of the companions that you take with you, brother. I don't believe that any of them would be proof against any assault - nay, more likely they invite it."

Joshua laughs and bids him farewell. Ismaire stays at his side until he falls back to sleep.

_In his sleep he dreams of a time before, where a young boy stands in awe of a goddess dancing. At the very end of his slumber, before he awakens, the goddess blows him a kiss…_

**x-x-x**

**AN: **_Will contain a second chapter of additions to the tale, just because._

Am posting this now, just because I feel that I should (It's the portion that's actually up for the contest). When I actually finish up the tale, I'll post the remainder in a second chapter. Cheers.


	2. Extra, Part 1

**"Fey: Extra, Part 1"**

_~o~_

_In the end, his recovery is slow. Even after he gains the strength to rise from his bed his arm remains weak. Every physician that his family consults with tries in vain to cure the lad; eventually they give up hope. Seth is glad when the torture is over - he knows that his mother worries over his health, but the cures that the doctors prescribe tend to be worse than just living with his condition._

_He has been cut and bled and fed horrible concoctions. If they were not ascribed to by ordained members of the faith, Seth would have suspected the leeches of feeding him witch's brews. They even brought in the priest to bless him with holy water and ceremonies, though that did nothing more than cause uncomfortable dampness and a dire wish to be somewhere else._

_In the end, they all wash their hands of his condition. "His fate is the Lord's will. This trial will purify the lad of wandering fancies."_

Seth does not understand why those who purport to believe in a higher plane of existence and faith in miracles cannot accept his word of what took place on that day. He grows silent and ceases to speak of such things any longer, even when someone bothers to press him on it.

_Time passes._

Joshua has married his chosen bride, the daughter of Haelen. Natasha becomes the lady of the house, and Ismaire has a daughter to add to her passel of sons. With her arrival, sunshine returns to the halls, and Seth becomes a side note to the family life instead of the main attraction. He is grateful for the reprieve.

When the ladies take the yearly visit, he is not among their attendants. Instead he practices his swordplay with his instructors. His right hand is not as steady as he wishes, but the strength is returning. In the meantime, he is learning to use his left.

He does not forget the denizens of the forest, either the beautiful or the ugly. Three years pass before he feels strong enough to venture out alone again.

The clearing is just as he remembers it, but this time there is no one there. He spends almost the entire day wandering the woods around the area, but no one comes. In the end, he rides away.

_A single forget-me-not planted in the dark earth is the only evidence of his visit when at last the glowing motes of light appear._

The next year, Joshua delegates the task of escorting the women to the convent to his brother. There have been whispers that one of the rival lords is looking to obtain their ancestral holdings and Joshua is mustering the defenses and sending out patrols. No moves have yet been made, yet there is the sense of keen anticipation.

Seth rides with his sword strapped to his belt. He leads a small company of ten men as they safeguard his mother and the Lady Blaed. There is also the child to think of, for Natasha refuses to leave her young son behind despite the possible danger. Seth does not feel relieved when they reach their destination; he will not be able to relax until the walls of the keep protect them. While the ladies dismount with the help of two of the men at arms, Seth leads the rest of his men out to patrol the surrounding forest.

_When the attack comes, they have a little warning._

The invaders use arrows, but the trees deflect most of the shafts. Only one man is injured before they ride down the archers. It is blood and mayhem; Seth and his men show no mercy to the failed ambush. When they finish, bodies lay strewn in pieces upon the forest floor.

There is no time to rest, however; other soldiers rush forward on foot and Seth acts quickly. Sending one man to sound the alarm and gather reinforcements, Seth turns the rest of his command for a mad dash to the convent. They reach the outer wall with time to spare.

The men dismount and lead their animals inside and Seth takes two of his men with him as he enters the convent in search of his mother and Natasha. He finds them in conference with the Mother Superior and with as much decorum as he can muster in the situation he enters the room, interrupting their conversation. His mother stands when he enters.

"They have come."

It is a statement of fact and Seth nods. "I sent word to Joshua of the raid. We are preparing to hold out until he can arrive." Turning his attention to the Mother Superior, Seth continues to project a calm demeanor. "It would be best if you gathered the women together here in the central building and prayed for deliverance. If you bar the doors then you should be able to hold out for a time even if we fall. These walls are solid stone and they will not easily burn you out."

"The angel of the _LORD _encamps about those that fear him to deliver them. He will strengthen your arms for the battle; therefore we shall not fear the coming evil." Still the old woman sends one of the other nuns off to set things in motion with a few whispered words. The young woman scampers off, her habit flying about her in her haste.

Satisfied that he has done what is necessary to protect those in his charge, Seth turns away from the scene and marches out to face the foe. His injured man stays behind to safeguard the family as best he can - though in truth, Seth knows that his mother will be of more use than the warrior that he has left behind - the man had to be carried inside, while his mother is strong and can count on righteous fury to sustain her if the battle carries that far. She will not lose her daughter and grandchild to the whims of a band of raiders.

When the doors shut solidly behind him and he hears the sound of the bar dropping into place, Seth knows that his family will be well. He gathers the remaining men and prepares to put forth a stiff defense.

_He need only hold out until help can arrive._

He decides to attempt to hold the gate; the walls are high enough to discourage clambering over the top and will buy him some time before the raiders actually attempt it. With an eye towards obtaining a tactical advantage, he leaves the gate partly open, bracing it with crudely cut stakes and a mound of earth. There is no time to prepare a more sophisticated defense; with the door open, Seth hopes that the raiders will try to force the gate. If he can restrict the battle to one or two foes at a time, perhaps his men can survive to fight another day.

_War cries sound nearby; the enemy has found their haven._

For a time, the fight favors the defenders; as Seth had hoped, the invaders assail the gate and his little band cuts them down mercilessly. After the first reckless charge, the enemy draw off to reassess the situation and the defenders take the time to tend to their own wounds. None of them have been seriously hurt, but the countless minor injuries will add to their fatigue as the day progresses.

They have won the first round however and they raise a cry of defiance to the enemy milling about in the distance.

The attackers form up again to hurl their might against the gate. Without any threat of arrows to slow their advance, they reach the portal after a short rush and the struggle resumes. This time, one of Seth's band falls before the onslaught is repulsed. When the attack fades away and they have time to breathe again, they turn to tend to the fallen man. Unfortunately there is nothing that they can do for him, he passed beyond their aid while the battle still raged. Seth murmurs a prayer for the departed before returning his attention to the foe beyond the walls. There is nothing more that can be done for the dead.

Some of the invaders fade away into the forest, only to return with freshly hewn branches. As they work to fashion crude ladders, their leader arrives and stirs them back to the assault. Carrying the ladders, they rush back to the walls. Seth rotates his men, charging most to guard the gate and keeping two in reserve to watch for foes coming over the walls.

The assault at the gates stalls again and though the fighting is fierce, Seth turns his attention to the men appearing at the top of the wall. When they leap to the ground, he and his retainers meet them with swords and death. For a short while they hold, but there are more ladders and men outside to climb them. _If they wait too long to withdraw from the gate_… Seth begins to call his men to fall back and form up with him when a loud cry splits the air; it is the sound of a man in agony. One of his men holding the gate staggers and falls to the ground while the rest back away from whatever stands on the other side.

A man clambers through the opening and then the rush is upon them as more follow. It is all that Seth can do to gather his men together in a semi circle with their backs to the building that houses the women and his brother's heir. The fighting is fierce and men fall on both sides before a break finally comes. In the lull that follows, Seth finds himself surrounded by death; only three of his retainers remain on their feet and even as he takes count, one man slumps against the stone wall behind them. Bodies of the enemy lay in a circle around them and their remaining foes seem reluctant to approach and closer. It is then that a man steps through the gap in the gate, a black spear held tight within his fist. The invaders part to grant him space and he steps forward and beckons to the defenders with the weapon.

The challenge is too great to ignore and Seth's men rush at the enemy commander, heedless to his command to stand their ground. The spear spins in fierce arcs and takes the lives of both men, but not before granting them the terror of its touch.

Silent and grim, Seth stares hard at the scene before him. He knows that weapon, has felt the terror of it's bite upon his own flesh. The strength that it stole from him has taken years to return and now the spear has reappeared with a different wielder than the last. The man's eyes are alight with a mad lust for blood and battle, but Seth ignores this to focus on the weapon even as it rises again in challenge.

It pulses now, a darkness that he can feel calling to his body, a hunger that threatens to eat away his strength and drown him in bondage to the spear's whims. Wearily, Seth straightens and raises his blade in answer to the challenge that has been made.

He will fight, but it is the weapon and not the man that he faces here. A thing so foul should not exist in this realm and he is determined to destroy it. Behind him a building full of the innocent would be the next to taste the horror that such an abomination would bring with whatever tortures might come from the more mundane of the invaders.

As he steps forward to battle, he clenches his right fist to deny his strength to the foe. His side throbs in time with his pulse, his vision narrows to encompass only the fight ahead. If he can break their commander, break his weapon, then perhaps it will balance falling upon this field with so many fates yet undetermined.

The man moves and stabs Seth once, twice before he finds purchase upon the weapon. His right hand grasps the spear, not trying to remove it as he once had years ago, but this time to ensure that his foe cannot wriggle from his grasp. His foe twists the shaft, attempting to free his weapon and Seth's sword finds his throat, parting the flesh and cartilage there easily. The man falls away from the battle, hands flying to his throat and confusion replacing the madness that had infused him before. If there were time, Seth might pity him, but at any moment the remnants of the invasion may fall upon him and there is one last task he must accomplish before then.

Seth raises his sword and brings it down upon the shaft of the weapon with a great cry. The blade, brought down with all the strength that a man possesses upon the haft of the weapon does not survive the encounter.

_Something explodes, something else shatters, and darkness falls._

~o~

When Joshua arrives, he finds his brother slumped against the door to the convent. Dead soldiers litter the gardens, proof of the battle that has been fought. There is the smell of scorching in the air, almost covered by the scent of blood and death. Seth does not move or respond to any words, but when the men move him thinking him dead, a quiet groan passes his lips.

"_He yet lives!"_

Instructions pass forth and the doors are unbarred allowing Joshua to enter the convent and reunite with his wife and child. Ismaire takes one look at her eldest and hastens outside. Natasha stops rocking their son and pales at his grim demeanor. "My lord, how fares your brother?"

"He yet lives, though only God knows how long that will last."

Natasha weeps and Joshua kneels down to wipe away her tears. "We must leave this place, it is not fit to stay with so much death about." She nods and Joshua stands to turn his attentions to the nuns. "If you wish, I will house you within our walls until repairs can be made to your own."

The old woman who has had charge of this place for years answers him. "We thank you for your concern, my lord, but we will be quite safe here. God will provide us with protection."

The Lord of Blaed nods once before lifting his wife to her feet. "I will leave men here to clear away the dead for burial. When we have the time, we will repair your walls and gardens." Swiftly he leads the way outside. Natasha follows in his wake, her son held firmly in her arms.

She is thankful that the child is asleep as they walk through the carnage. Blood coats the ground and bodies lay where they have fallen; flies swarm to them already and the stench that rises hurries her pace as she follows her husband to where the horses wait.

They do not leave until Ismaire joins them and Seth has been secured on a litter for travel to the castle. The column starts a steady pace for the castle, while the mounted men close around the members of the household.

_Natasha prays for a miracle._

~o~

AN: _This is the first portion of the tale that follows 'Fey' and was not included in the challenge fic itself- mostly because it hadn't been written yet and partly because it probably would have put 'Fey' over the word limit and time limit if it had been included._

_There still remains a portion of the tale that I'm trying to hash out on paper… or rather digital word processors. One last encounter betwixt the mortal and fey realms and the resolution of this tale. When it gets done, I'll see you all again. __:)_


End file.
